The Unofficial Airfix Modellers' Forum

Despite its appearance in a "50th Anniversay" commemorative issue in 2003, the consensus among historians of Airfix now seems to be that the first Airfix aircraft kit, Spitfire BT-K, made its debut in 1955. Which means that 2015 marks 60 years of Airfix aircraft, something that sounds like an occasion the CBK Sig should mark -- perhaps even in a joint display with AMSIG...
Bestest,
M.

Sounds like a good idea for a display. Perhaps models by decade of release.

That has possibilities, depending on how we plan to execute it. A joint display with AMSIG could also be quite special - they could do the modern stuff, while we concentrate on the classics, and we could try to get adjoining tables for continuity and flow. An interesting idea worth exploring.

Thanks, guys...

I was thinking that the theme was broad enough to incorporate various approaches to the builds -- no reason why we shouldn't have some box art builds in there (it'd be fun to see some people doing box-art builds of the new Adam Tooby artworks!), or some "then and now" pairings matching a classic Airfix model with one built from a new-tooled kit -- with luck the Defiant will be available in time! You could have special tags/stickers for "Gems" among the kits on display, or build a few as a 10-year old would have, or the odd one in "exploded" form like that fantastic Lightning someone built a could of years back. Collateral could be catalogues, boxes. instructions etc all showing how they've evolved...

bestest,
M.

We could maybe have this as part of the overall display, but I think we'd still need to include other types as well for a nicely rounded display - cars, figures,ships, tanks etc., and give the other CBK manufacturers a fair crack of the Telford whip.

We've have done three success single manufacturer displays before.

JamesPerrin wrote:We've have done three success single manufacturer displays before.

Yeah, but none of those was limited to just one type of vehicle, i.e. just airplanes. That's my main concern.

I think in this case, the variety would come from the different treatments, not from the subject matter. As I suggested above, there are lots of different ways you could build something representing "60 years of Airfix Aircraft". For example, you could build anything from one of those not very lamented 1/144 kits that were in the range for a while right up to a 1/24 Mossie. Plus I can't think of many CBK SIG members who _don't_ build aircraft (not exclusively, obviously, but no one is going to say they aren't interested because it's not a genre that they ever build...)

bestest,
M.

I "rarely" build aircraft, they don't really excite me very much. Last year I built one - to represent one which crashed adjacent to where I now live, and it was built for a specific reason/display. So since then not touched a plane and got no plans to build one this year. I have only 1 plane kit in the stash. But I am not and have no intention of influencing what you do for your theme - if what you do allows me to offer built items for, I will do this year, if not I will just offer cake...

I had my first Airfix kit, HMS Victory, in 1955. I had the Spitfire too, though only one wing remains hidden in the spares box these days. BT-K with two bombs under each wing. Dad did the modelling, but we shared the build. I remember getting all the ships and some aircraft as they came out. I also built lots of other stuff as it appeared on shelves. 2 American Locos from the old West. A Stinson Trimotor comes to mind and then various Eagle ships to go with my Minic Ships. Others that I remember vividly were a pair of 25 pdrs with quads and a Scammel Tank transporter. Then the Rosebud Kitmaster Locos and Carriages, followed by the Airfix trackside range. All my models ended up on my train set, or hanging above it. The ships were all perched on shelves.

I really must supply an Airfix Classic to the display this year. I've grown up with Airfix and they have always been the largest part of my collection. The new Red Boxes have started me off all over again.